CRPF ex-cop sentenced to death for killing seven

Hyderabad, April 30 (IANS) A former Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) constable was Monday sentenced to death in Andhra Pradesh for killing seven people, including his two children.

Nearly one-and-half years after K. Shankar Rao went on rampage butchering seven people in Metapatla village in Srikakulam district of north coastal Andhra, about 750 km from here, the city’s district court sentenced him to death.

Rao was dismissed from service in 2009 after he was sentenced to seven years’ jail in dowry death case of his wife Vijayalakshmi, who had committed suicide in 2005.

Rao, who was then on bail, returned to the village and went on rampage on the night of Dec 1, 2010, targeting the witnesses in the case. Rao beheaded with a sword his son Diwakar (6) and daughter Manisha (5) while they were asleep.

He then wore the CRPF uniform and chased every witness, hacking to death five persons, including three women. According to police, he attacked the victims with a sword, a sickle and two knives.

The former constable even threw crude bombs to terrorise the villagers. He escaped after the mayhem but police later managed to arrest him.

The villagers of Metapatla hailed the district court verdict and said Rao deserved the capital punishment.

Rao, who was present in the court when judge sentenced him to death, said he would file an appeal in the high court against the sentence. He was later shifted to the Rajahmundry Central Jail.